Bob Cousy
Cincinnati Royals | |
As coach: | |
---|---|
1963–1969 | Boston College |
1969–1973 | Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha Kings |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 16,960 (18.4 ppg) |
Rebounds | 4,786 (5.2 rpg) |
Assists | 6,955 (7.5 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
Robert Joseph Cousy (
Making his high school varsity squad as a junior, Cousy went on to earn a scholarship to the
Upon his election to the
Early life
Cousy was the only son of poor French
Cousy took up basketball at the age of 13 as a student at St. Pascal's elementary school, and was "immediately hooked".
That same year, he fell out of a tree and broke his right hand. The injury forced him to play left-handed until his hand healed, making him effectively
He again excelled in basketball his senior year, leading his team to the Queens divisional championship and amassing more points than any other New York City high school basketball player. He was even named captain of the Journal-American All-Scholastic team.[16] He then began to plan for college. His family had wanted him to attend a Catholic school, and he wanted to go somewhere outside New York City. Boston College recruited him, and he considered accepting the BC offer, but it had no dormitories, and he was not interested in being a commuter student. Soon afterward, he received an offer from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, about forty miles (64 kilometers) west of Boston. He was impressed by the school, and accepted the basketball scholarship it offered him.[17] He spent the summer before matriculating working at Tamarack Lodge in the Catskill Mountains and playing in a local basketball league along with a number of established college players.[18]
College career
Cousy was one of six freshmen on the Holy Cross Crusaders' varsity basketball team in 1946–47. From the start of the season, coach Doggie Julian chose to play the six freshmen off the bench in a two-team system, so that each player would get some time on the court. As members of the "second team", they would come off the bench nine and a half minutes into the game, where they would relieve the "first team" starters. They would sometimes get to play as much as a third or even half of the game,[19] but even at that Cousy was so disappointed with the lack of playing time that he went to the campus chapel after practice to pray that Julian would give him more of a chance to show off his talents on the court.[19] Early in the season, however, he got into trouble with Julian, who accused him of being a showboater. Even as late as that 1946–47 season, basketball was a static game, depending on slow, deliberate player movement and flat-footed shots. Far different was Cousy's up-tempo, streetball-like game, marked by ambidextrous finesse play and notable for behind-the-back dribbling and no-look, behind-the-back and half-court passing.[2] Even so, he had enough playing time in games to score 227 points for the season, finishing with the third-highest total on the team. Led by stars George Kaftan and Joe Mullaney, the Crusaders finished the 1946–47 basketball season 24–3.[20]
On the basis of that record, Holy Cross got into the
The following season Julian limited Cousy's playing time, to the point that the frustrated sophomore contemplated transferring out of Holy Cross. Cousy wrote a letter to coach Joe Lapchick of St. John's University in New York, informing him that he was considering a transfer there. Lapchick wrote back to Cousy that he considered Julian "one of the finest basketball coaches in America"[23] and that he believed Julian had no bad intentions in restricting his playing time. He told Cousy that Julian would use him more often during his later years with the team. Lapchick alerted Cousy that transferring was a very risky move: according to NCAA rules, the player would be required to sit out a year before becoming eligible to play for the school to which he transferred.[24] Cousy still managed to lead the Crusaders in scoring and was an AP Third Team All American.[25][26] Cousy again led the team in scoring in his junior year, and was named a Second Team All American by multiple services, including the AP.[27][28]
During Cousy's senior year of 1949–1950, with 5 minutes to go and Holy Cross trailing in a game against
Professional career
Boston Celtics (1950–1963)
Early years (1950–1956)
Cousy turned pro and made himself available for the
As a result, the
It was not long before both Auerbach and Brown changed their minds. With averages of 15.6 points, 6.9
In the
In the next three years, Cousy firmly established himself as one of the league's best point guards. Leading the league in assists all 3 seasons, and averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds, the versatile Cousy earned himself three more All-NBA First Team and All-Star honors, and was also Most Valuable Player of the
The Celtics eventually added two talented
Celtics dynasty years (1957–1963)
Before the
In the 1957–58 NBA season, Cousy had yet another highly productive year, with his 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game leading to nominations into the All-NBA First Team and the All-Star team. He again led the NBA in assists.[1] The Celtics reached the 1958 NBA Finals against the Hawks, but when Russell succumbed to a foot injury in Game 3, the Celtics faded and bowed out four games to two. This was the last losing NBA playoff series in which Cousy would play.[42]
In the following
In the 1959–60 NBA season, Cousy was again productive, his 19.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game earning him his eighth consecutive assists title and another joint All-NBA First Team and All-Star team nomination.[1] Again, the Celtics defeated all opposition and won the 1960 NBA Finals 4–3 against the Hawks.[44] A year later, the 32-year-old Cousy scored 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, winning another pair of All-NBA First Team and All-Star nominations, but failing to win the assists crown after eight consecutive seasons.[1] However, the Celtics won the 1961 NBA Finals after convincingly beating the Hawks 4–1.[45]
In the
Retirement
At age 34, Cousy held his retirement ceremony on March 17, 1963, in a packed Boston Garden. The event became known as the Boston Tear Party, when the crowd's response overwhelmed Cousy, left him speechless, and caused his planned 7-minute farewell to go on for 20. Joe Dillon, a water worker from South Boston, Massachusetts, and a devoted Celtics fan, screamed "We love ya, Cooz", breaking the tension and the crowd went into cheers.[2] As a testament to Cousy's legacy, President John F. Kennedy wired to Cousy: "The game bears the indelible stamp of your rare skills and competitive daring, and it will serve as a living reminder of your long and illustrious career so long as it is played."[47]
Cincinnati Royals (1969–1970)
During the 1969–70 NBA season, the then 41-year-old Cousy, who was also the head coach for the Royals, made a late-season comeback as a player for seven games. Cousy averaged 0.7 points per game for the now Sacramento Kings.
NBA career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
† | Won an NBA championship | * | Led the league |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950–51 | Boston | 69 | — | .352 | .756 | 6.9 | 4.9 | 15.6 |
1951–52 | Boston | 66* | 40.6 | .369 | .808 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 21.7 |
1952–53 | Boston | 71 | 41.5 | .352 | .816 | 6.3 | 7.7* | 19.8 |
1953–54 | Boston | 72 | 39.7 | .385 | .787 | 5.5 | 7.2* | 19.2 |
1954–55 | Boston | 71 | 38.7 | .397 | .807 | 6.0 | 7.8* | 21.2 |
1955–56 | Boston | 72 | 38.4 | .360 | .844 | 6.8 | 8.9* | 18.8 |
1956–57† | Boston | 64 | 36.9 | .378 | .821 | 4.8 | 7.5* | 20.6 |
1957–58 | Boston
|
65 | 34.2 | .353 | .850 | 5.0 | 7.1* | 18.0 |
1958–59† | Boston
|
65 | 37.0 | .384 | .855 | 5.5 | 8.6* | 20.0 |
1959–60† | Boston
|
75 | 34.5 | .384 | .792 | 4.7 | 9.5* | 19.4 |
1960–61† | Boston | 76 | 32.5 | .371 | .779 | 4.4 | 7.7 | 18.1 |
1961–62† | Boston | 75 | 28.2 | .391 | .754 | 3.5 | 7.8 | 15.7 |
1962–63† | Boston | 76 | 26.0 | .397 | .735 | 2.5 | 6.8 | 13.2 |
1969–70 | Cincinnati | 7 | 4.9 | .333 | 1.000 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 |
Career | 924 | 35.3 | .375 | .803 | 5.2 | 7.5 | 18.4 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | Boston | 2 | — | .214 | .833 | 7.5 | 6.0 | 14.0 |
1952 | Boston | 3 | 46.0 | .400 | .932 | 4.0 | 6.3 | 31.0 |
1953 | Boston | 6 | 45.0 | .383 | .836 | 4.2 | 6.2 | 25.5 |
1954 | Boston | 6 | 43.3 | .284 | .800 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 21.0 |
1955 | Boston | 7 | 42.7 | .381 | .958 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 21.7 |
1956 | Boston | 3 | 41.3 | .500 | .920 | 8.0 | 8.7 | 26.3 |
1957† | Boston | 10 | 44.0 | .324 | .747 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 20.2 |
1958 | Boston
|
11 | 41.5 | .342 | .853 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 18.0 |
1959† | Boston
|
11 | 41.8 | .326 | .745 | 6.9 | 10.8 | 19.5 |
1960† | Boston
|
13 | 36.0 | .305 | .765 | 3.7 | 8.9 | 15.3 |
1961† | Boston | 10 | 33.7 | .340 | .761 | 4.3 | 9.1 | 16.7 |
1962† | Boston | 14 | 33.9 | .357 | .684 | 4.6 | 8.8 | 16.0 |
1963† | Boston | 13 | 30.2 | .353 | .830 | 2.5 | 8.9 | 14.1 |
Career | 109 | 38.5 | .342 | .801 | 5.0 | 8.6 | 18.5 |
Coaching career
Boston College (1963–1969)
After retiring as a player, Cousy published his
Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1969–1973)
Cousy grew bored with college basketball and returned to the NBA as coach of the
Coaching record
College coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boston College (ECAC) (1963–1969) | |||||||||
1963–64 | Boston College | 10–11 | |||||||
1964–65 | Boston College | 21–7 | NIT First Round | ||||||
1965–66 | Boston College | 21–5 | NIT Quarterfinals | ||||||
1966–67 | Boston College | 21–3 | NCAA Elite Eight
| ||||||
1967–68 | Boston College | 17–8 | NCAA First round
| ||||||
1968–69 | Boston College | 24–4 | NIT Runner-Up | ||||||
Boston College: | 114–38 | ||||||||
Total: | 114–38 (0.750)[48] | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
NBA coaching record
Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati | 1969–70 | 82 | 36 | 46 | .439 | 5th in Eastern | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
Cincinnati | 1970–71 | 82 | 33 | 49 | .402 | 3rd in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
Cincinnati | 1971–72 | 82 | 30 | 52 | .366 | 3rd in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
Kansas City–Omaha | 1972–73 | 82 | 36 | 46 | .439 | 4th in Midwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
Kansas City–Omaha | 1973–74 | 20 | 6 | 14 | .300 | (resigned) | — | — | — | — | — |
Career[49] | 348 | 141 | 207 | .405 | — | — | — | — | — |
Legacy
In 1954, the NBA had no health benefits, pension plan, minimum salary, and the average player's salary was $8,000 ($82,000 in 2021 dollars) a season. To combat this, Cousy organized the National Basketball Players Association, the first trade union among those in the four major North American professional sports leagues. Cousy served as its first president until 1958.
In his 13-year, 924-game NBA playing career, Cousy finished with 16,960 points, 4,786 rebounds and 6,955 assists, translating to averages of 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.[1] He was regarded as the first great point guard of the NBA, winning eight of the first 11 assist titles in the league, all of them en bloc, and had a highly successful career, winning six NBA titles, one MVP award, 13 All-Star and 12 All-NBA First and Second Team call-ups and two All-Star MVP awards.[1] With his eye-catching dribbling and unorthodox passing, Cousy popularized modern guard play and raised the profile of the Boston Celtics and the entire NBA.[9] His fast-paced playing style was later emulated by the likes of Pete Maravich and Magic Johnson.[2]
In recognition of his feats, Cousy was inducted into the
On November 16, 2008, Cousy's college uniform number, 17, was hoisted to the Hart Center rafters. During halftime of a game between the Holy Cross Crusaders and
On July 1, 2019, Cousy informed The Boston Globe that he had received an official letter notifying him that he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump on August 22, 2019.[51] He received the medal at a ceremony in the Oval Office.[52] A statue of Cousy was installed outside the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts (the current home venue of the Holy Cross basketball program). The statute of Cousy was dedicated in June 2021.[53][54]
Cousy has been the recipient of several basketball awards being named after him. The Bob Cousy Award has been presented annually since 2004 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. In 2022, the NBA renamed its Eastern Conference championship trophy in honor of Cousy.[55]
After the death of Bob Harrison in March 2024, Cousy is now the oldest living NBA champion.
Off the court
Soccer league commissioner
Despite his unfamiliarity with the sport, Cousy was appointed Commissioner of the
Personal life
Cousy married his college sweetheart, Missie Ritterbusch, in December 1950, six months after he graduated from Holy Cross.[59] They lived in Worcester, Massachusetts,[60] and had two daughters. His wife died on September 20, 2013, after suffering from dementia for several years.[61]
Cousy was well-known, both on and off the court, for his public stance against racism, a result of his upbringing in a multicultural environment. In 1950, the Celtics played a game in the then-segregated city of Charlotte, North Carolina, and teammate Chuck Cooper—the first African-American in NBA history to be drafted—would have been denied a hotel room. Instead of taking the hotel room, Cousy insisted on travelling with Cooper on an uncomfortable overnight train. He described their visit to a segregated men's toilet—Cooper was prohibited from using the clean "for whites" bathroom and had to use the shabby "for colored" facility—as one of the most shameful experiences of his life.[62] He also sympathized with the plight of black Celtics star Bill Russell, who was frequently a victim of racism.[63]
He was close to his Celtics mentor, head coach Red Auerbach, and was one of the few permitted to call him "Arnold", his given name, instead of his nickname "Red".[11]
He was a
He is currently a marketing consultant for the Celtics, and occasionally makes broadcast appearances with Mike Gorman (and with ex-Celtic teammate Tom Heinsohn prior to Heinsohn's death on November 9, 2020).[60]
See also
- List of athletes who came out of retirement
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career triple-double leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game
- List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Bob Cousy Statistics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Bob Cousy Bio". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 22, 2007.
- NBA.com.
- ^ Krantz, Laura (August 22, 2019). "Celtics legend Bob Cousy receives Presidential Medal of Freedom". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ISBN 0-7432-5476-7.
- ^ a b Reynolds, p24.
- ^ McClellan, Michael D. (July 22, 2007). "Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy Interview page 1". Celtic Nation.
- ^ Reynolds, p26.
- ^ a b c d e f Schwartz, Larry (July 22, 2007). "Celtics tried to pass on ultimate passer". ESPN.com.
- ^ Reynolds, p31.
- ^ a b c d e McClellan, Michael D. (July 22, 2007). "Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy Interview page 5". Celtic Nation.
- ^ Reynolds, p32.
- ^ Reynolds, p34.
- ^ Reynolds, p35.
- ^ Reynolds, p36.
- ^ Reynolds, p37.
- ^ Reynolds, p39.
- ^ Reynolds, pp40–41.
- ^ a b Reynolds, p48.
- ^ Reynolds, p50.
- ^ Reynolds, p51.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, p52.
- ^ "full contents of the letter". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
- ^ Reynolds, p56.
- ^ "1947-48 Holy Cross Crusaders Men's Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "NCAA College Basketball AP All-America Teams". Basketball Reference. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "1948-49 Holy Cross Crusaders Men's Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ 2005 NCAA Basketball's Finest - All-Americans (UPI, Look, & Collier's) p.208
- ^ Reynolds, pp57–58.
- ^ NCAA Record Book - Award Winners p.135. Accessed 2023-05-04. 2009-05-04.
- ^ "1949-50 Holy Cross Crusaders Men's Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "1950–51 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ "1951–52 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ "1952–53 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ a b "Red Auerbach biography". jockbio.com. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2007.
- ^ McClellan, Michael D. (July 22, 2007). "Celtics-nation.com: Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy Interview page 7". Celtic Nation.
- ^ "1953–54 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ "1954–55 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ "1955–56 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ Shouler, Ken (July 22, 2007). "The Consummate Coach". ESPN.com.
- ^ "1956–57 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ "1957–58 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ "1958–59 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007.
- ^ "1959–60 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ "1960–61 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ "1961–62 Boston Celtics". Sports Reference, Inc. July 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-7352-2361-5.
- ^ "Bob Cousy college coaching stats". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ "Bob Cousy coaching stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ espn.com. "Daily Dime: Special Edition – The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever". Retrieved April 24, 2007.
- ^ Kelly, Nick; Shaughnessy, Dan (July 1, 2019). "Celtics legend Bob Cousy to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ "President Trump Presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Robert Cousy". Archived from the original on November 3, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Statue Of Celtics Great Bob Cousy To Be Unveiled In Worcester Friday". June 12, 2021.
- ^ "Statue of NBA Legend Bob Cousy '50 Unveiled in Worcester | Holy Cross Magazine". Holy Cross Magazine. 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ "NBA redesigns Finals trophy, adds awards named after Magic Johnson, Larry Bird". Washington Post. May 12, 2022.
To complete the postseason collection, the NBA updated its conference championship trophies, first created in 2001, and renamed them after Hall of Famers Bob Cousy (for the East) and Oscar Robertson (for the West)
- ^ Yannis, Alex. "Soccer Job Gives Cousy Sports Role," The New York Times, Friday, December 20, 1974. Retrieved February 15, 2020
- ^ Yannis, Alex. "Adelphi Shows Depth In Soccer," The New York Times, Tuesday, September 23, 1975. Retrieved February 15, 2020
- ^ Yannis, Alex. "A.S.L. Set To Dismiss Bob Cousy," The New York Times, Tuesday, November 20, 1979. Retrieved February 15, 2020
- ^ Reynolds, p84.
- ^ a b "Bob Cousy: Marketing Consultant". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 22, 2007.
- ^ Marie A. Cousy. Legacy.com. Retrieved on October 3, 2013.
- ^ McClellan, Michael D. (July 22, 2007). "Celtics-nation.com: Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy Interview page 6". Celtic Nation.
- ^ McClellan, Michael D. (July 22, 2007). "Celtics-nation.com: Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy Interview page 8". Celtic Nation.
Further reading
- Cousy, Bob; ISBN 978-1501142642.
- Reynolds, Bill (2005). Cousy: His Life, Career, and the Birth of Big-Time Basket. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1476746166.
External links
- Bob Cousy on nba.com
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com